homo

homo — noun

1. a very rude and hateful word directed at a man who feels romantic or sexual attr

1.名詞B2
釋義

a very rude and hateful word directed at a man who feels romantic or sexual attraction toward other men. This term is always used as an insult and should never be repeated, as it causes deep harm.

例句

Manuela heard a group of boys shout 'homo!' at their classmate in the hallway.

shows the word used as a direct verbal insult

School rules now ban the word 'homo' because students used it to bully others.

同義詞
  • gay man

    the only respectful and neutral term; use this instead of 'homo' in all situations

  • homosexual

    formal, clinical term; acceptable in academic contexts but 'gay' is preferred in everyday language

反義詞
  • straight man

    refers to a man attracted to women; no offensive connotation

  • heterosexual man

    formal term for someone attracted to the opposite sex

用法筆記

This is an extremely offensive slur. Never use it to refer to a gay person, even if you hear others using it casually. The neutral and respectful terms are 'gay man' or 'a gay person.' Using this word in any context outside of direct discussion about the slur itself can cause serious offense.

常見錯誤

❌My uncle is a homo.
✅My uncle is a gay man.
💡'homo' is a hateful slur; 'gay' is the respectful, neutral term.
❌Some of my friends are homos.
✅Some of my friends are gay.
💡using 'homo' to describe a group is also offensive.

2. the scientific group (genus) of primates that includes modern human beings, Homo

2.名詞C1
釋義

the scientific group (genus) of primates that includes modern human beings, Homo sapiens, together with closely related extinct species such as Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis.

例句

The earliest members of the genus Homo appeared in Africa about two million years ago.

Femi's anthropology class studied how the skull shape changed from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens.

collocation: Homo erectus / Homo sapiens

同義詞
  • human genus

    plain English equivalent of 'genus Homo'; less formal

  • Homo sapiens

    the only surviving species in the genus Homo; often used to refer to all modern humans

用法筆記

When referring to the biological genus, always capitalize 'Homo' and write the full species name in italics (e.g., Homo sapiens). The genus is commonly discussed in paleoanthropology, evolutionary biology, and archaeology. This term has no connection to the offensive slur with the same spelling — the two words are from different origins.

常見錯誤

❌Homo Sapiens live in many places.
✅Homo sapiens live in many places.
💡the second word (species name) is lower case, not capitalized.
❌The homo genus includes modern humans.
✅The genus Homo includes modern humans.
💡'Homo' should always be capitalized in this sense and typically follows 'genus.'